Yes, you read that right. This is the weight in carats of the Lesedi La Rona, the second-largest gem-quality diamond ever discovered. Graff Diamonds bought it for US$53 million in September.

2017 marked the landmark birthday of Hong Kong Tatler, with year-long celebrations culminating in a dazzling Tatler Ball attended by more than 350 of Hong Kong’s elite.

See also: Video: Highlights From The Hong Kong Tatler Ball 2017

A million plastic bottles are being bought around the world every minute, a tally that is expected to surge by 20 percent by 2021. As nine out of 10 are not recycled, many end up polluting oceans and other ecosystems.

See also: Exclusive: A Plastic Ocean Screening

The winning bid for Jean Michel-Basquiat’s Untitled (1982), a skull painting auctioned by Sotheby’s, making it the most expensive American artwork of all time. 

Kanye West’s Calabasas-themed Yeezy x Adidas collection was so popular that it only took five minutes to sell out. The unisex line features black-and-white striped sneakers, crew neck sweaters and jewel-toned sweats.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates once said, “Is the rich world aware of how 4 billion of the 6 billion live? If we were aware, we would want to help out.” And help out he did.

The world’s richest person made a US$4.6 billion donation—his largest since 2000—in August 2017, which is believed to have gone to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the philanthropic foundation he and his wife set up to improve global healthcare and reduce extreme poverty.

A $1,500 watch in the late 1980s, Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona—a gift from his wife, Joanne Woodward, and worn daily by the actor for more than 15 years—fetched the record amount in October 2017 to become the most expensive wristwatch ever sold.

See also: 5 Most Expensive Watches Sold At Phillips' Hong Kong Watch Auction: FIVE

The weight of the Pink Star, which holds the world record for the most expensive diamond or jewel ever sold at auction—US$71.2 million. Chow Tai Fook emerged victorious from the five-minute, three-party bidding war at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong in April.

The distance travelled by Qatar Airways planes on the world’s longest non-stop route currently in operation. In service since February 2017, the Auckland-to-Doha route is flown by Boeing 777-200LR aircraft and takes 18 hours and 10 minutes.

The price paid by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for the earliest surviving handwritten manuscript of the Book of Mormon, making it the most expensive manuscript ever sold.

2017 saw many momentous strides made towards gender equality, including the passing of Australia’s national postal survey on same-sex marriage. A record 61.6% of respondents voted yes for marriage equality. The result triggered celebratory parades around the country and the world.

The amount paid by Paris Saint-Germain for Neymar’s transfer from Barcelona in August, making the Brazilian officially the world’s most expensive football player.

It may be well into 2018 but we dare you to get last year's biggest chart-topping hit out of your head. The music video of Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s "Despacito" logged over 4.7 billion views on YouTube, making it the most watched video in YouTube history. 

Holding on to its top spot as the world’s most expensive city, Hong Kong saw the world’s most expensive real estate transaction in October 2017 when an astronomical HK$40.2 billion was paid for The Center, tycoon Li Ka-shing’s 73-storey skyscraper in Hong Kong.